The Choice (a Painful Past)

20

I guess he had missed another day of school. Sometimes, I would really need a day without him there, so I would ask my mom to make him go home for a little while. Him and his brother.

I swear, I didn't understand how their parents just let them pretty much live down here, when they had never even met us before. I sometimes wondered if they even knew where they were at all.

I got out of my truck and headed towards the front door. It opened before I reached it and Will was there, holding out his arms for my bag. I smiled and passed it to him, then went inside the house.

He set the bag on the couch, then wrapped me inside of his arms. I melted against his warm body and stayed there, just letting the stress of the school roll off of me.

"How was your day?" He asked, as he rubbed small circles into my back.

It felt so good. I leaned back and smiled up at him.

"It was good. No tests or anything. So, just a boring regular day." I replied. "Why didn't you go today?"

He shrugged with a little mischievous grin. "Just didn't feel like it. Pretty sure I'm not passing anyway. I'll probably just get Mom to sign some papers to let me withdraw. I'm tired of pretending that I'm actually going to graduate."

My mouth fell open in shock. "Are you serious?" I whispered. "But why? You still have plenty of time to pull up your GPA and graduate. Why wouldn't you want to do that?"

"It doesn't really matter to me. There are plenty of jobs that you can do without a diploma. Besides, I can always just get my G.E.D. It's not really a big deal. They mean the same thing." He replied.

I didn't really know how to reply to that, so I didn't say anything. I mean, technically, he was mostly right...but still. I couldn't imagine not graduating with my friends.

I pulled away from him, then took his hand, before I walked to my room.

"Mom, I'm home!" I yelled, as I walked down the hallway.

I waited for her reply, then walked into my room.

"You know, you should really take all of these posters down, now that you have a boyfriend. They kind of hurt my ego." He said, looking around my room.

I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Oh whatever. They're just posters. I mean, I was definitely in love with Harry, but he's just a fantasy. You're real." I replied, smiling at him.

He shook his head, with his lips flattened into a straight line.

"That doesn't matter. You're still lusting after some guy that's not me. I don't like it. You need to take them down." I could hear his voice harden, as I saw a flash in his eyes.

Was he really getting angry?

"Okay." I heard myself whisper.

I didn't want to. I wanted to tell him to fuck off, and that I could do whatever I wanted with my room, but I couldn't. I hated confrontation, and I hated people being mad at me.

I would literally do anything to make sure that no one was mad at me.

He smiled at me, then stepped closer, so that he could place his hands on my hips.

"Thank you. I'm sorry. They just really do kind of hurt my feelings, because I could never look like that. I'll help you redecorate your room any way you want it, okay?"

I could understand that. I wouldn't like it if he had his room plastered with super models, so I guess it was the same thing.

"I understand." I said, softly, staring into his hazel eyes. "I'll take them down."

"Good. Thank you, Callie." He replied, as he pulled me in for a hug. "I wish that you didn't have to go to school. That way, we could be together every day."

"Yeah." I whispered, as my head rested on his shoulder.

I pictured myself staying home every day and spending time with him. It wasn't the worst thing in the world.

He gave me back massages and told me how beautiful I was. He made me feel good about myself, and I had to admit that my feelings for him were getting stronger. I might be falling in love with him.

We spent the rest of the evening, hanging out in the living room with my family, just watching movies and playing the card game, Spades. I had a great time. When it was time for bed, Will walked me to my room, and we stood at the door to say goodnight.

He hugged me, then kissed me softly.

"Goodnight beautiful. I wish I could go to bed with you. Waking up to your gorgeous face would make every day amazing. But, until we can do that, I'll settle for this. I love you, Callie." He said, softly.

I sucked my breath in at those three little words.

Did he mean it? We had only been going out for, like, 5 weeks.

Wasn't this kind of fast? I had no idea.

"I love you too." I whispered, then leaned in for another soft kiss.

My heart and my head were whirling, spinning with the affirmation that he loved me. When I pulled back, I remembered that I was supposed to tell him about me going to Sherri's this weekend. Maybe I would tell him tomorrow.

I was tired.

"Goodnight." I said, before I turned and walked into my room.

He smiled and put his hand up in a small wave, before closing my door for me. I changed and lay down on my bed.

Was this real? I couldn't believe it. No one had ever told me that they loved me, besides my crazy ex boyfriend from middle school.

This was all so new and different. I thought about my feelings for Will and sighed. Maybe I did love him.

I definitely had strong feelings for him. I just didn't know what this kind of love was supposed to feel like. Yeah, it was probably love.

My mom let him and his brother stick around because she was always saving the kids that had crappy parents. She always let them stay, even if they came over late because their parents were fighting or whatever the case may be. I remembered her letting Kris live here for about a week, before his mom came to get him.

She was always doing things like that, because she had the largest heart of anyone that I had ever known. So, she let my boyfriend stay. Other girls would probably be so ecstatic if their parents let their boyfriends stay with them.

I didn't know that I was. I liked my alone time and when Will was here, I didn't get much of it.